


Ponkotsu Heart Game

by TJS



Series: Ponkotsu Heart [1]
Category: HuGっと！プリキュア | Hug tto! Precure
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 10:17:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16871107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJS/pseuds/TJS
Summary: There are some things that, no matter how much you prepare, you just can't be ready for.





	1. Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Hugtto Precure is too damn amazing for its own good. Here, have a fic that's a little fun and a little messed up.

"Thank you for the meal, I say." Emiru set her bowl and chopsticks down on the table. "I must admit, I'm so used to gourmet Western food that it's nice to have something simple like fish and rice~"

Sumire gave a soft chuckle. "I'm glad you liked it, Emiru-chan. Ruru insisted on inviting you since Hana's out with her friends and Kotori's sick."

Emiru blushed a little and turned to the aforementioned robot seated next to her, who was on her fifth bowl of rice already. "I-Is that so, I ask...?"

Ruru lowered her bowl and wiped some stray rice off her cheek. "Of course. My research shows that larger groups make for more lively and satisfying dinners, even more so when those you care for are involved. May I have another bowl, Miss Nono?" Ruru cleaned out the last few grains of rice and held her bowl out for a refill.

"Ahaha...Ruru, I think you've had enough. You've almost single-handedly eaten an entire cooker full of rice..."

"Oh, is that so? My apologies, Miss Nono." Ruru politely set her bowl and chopsticks down as well. "I am willing to help with cleanup if you require it."

"No, no, that's fine~ Shintarou can help me with that, can't he~?" Sumire winked and playfully elbowed Shintarou.

"Haha, of course, dear~ You two enjoy your time together~"

"R-Ruru and I? I-I say, that's--"

"Ah, perfect. If you'll excuse us." Ruru gave a slight bow, then stood up and picked up Emiru over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Come, Emiru. There is something I would like to show you."

"Wh-what--! Put me down, I say! Unhand me! I-I say, this position is very undignified!" Her little fists ineffectually bopped against Ruru's back as the android carried her upstairs. "A-A thousand curses upon you if you do not unhand me this instant, I say!"

"That would be dangerous. You would likely slide off my shoulder and fall down the stairs, incurring significant trauma to the head and neck area."

"D-Don't take things so literally, I say!" Emiru wiggled and flailed and thrashed, and eventually Ruru set her down gently on the bed once they got to Ruru's room. "A-About time, I say! What is the reason for this unwarranted rough treatment, I ask?!"

Ruru smiled slightly at Emiru's typical loud antics. "Well, I have a gift for you. Something I created myself." Ruru gestured to her workbench, which moreso than usual was strewn with various tools and spare parts. "It was not easy to create, but it gave me great satisfaction to finish."

Emiru's blush returned, darker this time. "A-A handmade present from Ruru...? I-I say, I-I'm not sure how to feel..."

"Allow me to retrieve it. Please close your eyes, Emiru." Ruru walked over to the workbench and began rummaging through the drawers.

"I-If that is what you wish..." Emiru closed her eyes, her heart thumping with nervous excitement as she listened to Ruru rummage, find what she was looking for, walk over...when she felt Ruru's fingers delicately brush against her neck, her whole body tensed up, heart jumping into her throat and hammering like an overzealous taiko drummer as her hands clutched her skirt in nervousness. She felt something cold and smooth, some kind of metal brush against her bare skin, tearing a surprised gasp from her lips unbidden as her heartbeat began to thud in her ears. After what felt like days but couldn't have been more than a few seconds, Ruru's voice cut through her nerves, gently and warmly touching her ears and putting her at ease slightly.

"You may open your eyes now, Emiru."

Emiru opened her eyes, slowly relaxing as she did so. "...S-So...? Wh-what did you do, I ask...?"

Ruru just smiled and tapped her chest, as if asking Emiru to look for herself.

Emiru lifted a hand to her chest and patted around, quickly feeling some sort of pendant. She took it in her palm and looked down at it, eyes quickly growing wide as the beauty of it stole her breath away. It was an expertly crafted necklace, a silver chain that held a pendant that looked like the outlines of two hearts, one purple and one red, connected into a sort of infinity symbol. The red heart was studded with two tiny amethysts, the purple with two tiny rubies. The sheer extravagance of the design, as well as the obvious meaning behind it, quickly brought tears to Emiru's eyes. "Wh-what is this, I ask...? Ruru...did you really make this...?"

The android nodded and knelt down in front of Emiru. "It is more than a beautiful piece of jewelry. It contains several pieces of technology as well."

Emiru sniffled and wiped her eyes. "T-Technology...?"

"Mm, technology. It contains a special chip that works based off GPS that will allow me to always know your location, anywhere in the world. Additionally, it is capable of reading your biometric data to inform me of your current mood or if you're in danger, hurt, or asleep. If you press on the two purple gemstones, it will send me a loud alert that you are in danger and in need of my help."

Each new tidbit only served to leave Emiru more and more awestruck, leaving her shaking and actively shedding tears. "R-Ruru...a-all of this work for me?" She furiously wiped her eyes and took a deep breath before giving Ruru the biggest smile she'd ever smiled. "Thank you so much, I say! I have never been happier with a gift in my life...I will treasure it for all my life, Ruru!" With that, she hugged Ruru as tightly as she could manage, still whispering her gratitude over and over and over again.

Ruru smiled softly and returned Emiru's embrace, but not too tightly for obvious reasons. "...According to the pendant, Emiru...you are very happy."

"I am, Ruru...I am, I say~"

Unfortunately, time was not kind to them, as a short time later Emiru had to leave and head home. After a heartfelt goodbye and a polite decline of Ruru's offer to walk her home, Emiru headed home in high spirits.

 

*     *     *

 

Ruru descended the stairs the next morning in a somewhat groggy state, having had difficulty falling asleep the previous night due to having to run her weekly system update and clean-up. Once she did, though, she was of course immediately greeted by Hana practically tackling her. "Ruruuuuuu, good morning~!"

"Awake before noon on a weekend, Hana? How unusual." Ruru returned the energetic girl's hug regardless.

" _Mechokku!_ Ruru, you're so mean..." Hana pouted for a brief moment. "Oh! You got a package!"

"...A package?" Ruru scanned her memory banks for any mention of a package or anything she might have ordered. "...Does not compute. I am not expecting anything."

"Huh, weird...well, here you go!" Completely oblivious as always, Hana stuffed the package into Ruru's hands. "I gotta go, mama needs my help~!" And with that, she just...dashed off without a care, like usual.

Ruru stared after her for a moment, then down at the package, scanning its contents. "...A cellular phone and a slip of paper...? Curious..." Ruru turned and headed back up the stairs to her room, sitting down and opening the package after ensuring it was safe. As her scan had predicted, there was an old brick-style cell phone and a scrap of paper with a phone number written on it in the same handwriting as her name on the outside. After a few moments of deliberation, Ruru called the number, filled with a sense of inexplicable dread.

After a couple rings, someone picked up on the other end. _"About time you called, girlie~ I was starting to get bored~"_

Ruru's face hardened immediately. "...And who are you, young adult female with clear ill intentions?"

_"Huh, you caught that I'm a chick. Most people don't with how rough my voice is. Looks like the kid wasn't lying about you bein' real perceptive~"_

Immediately, fear gripped Ruru's heart and she frantically checked her internal GPS for Emiru's location. The blip was there, but there was no biometric data to go with it, meaning that whoever this was had taken the necklace off of her...and obviously, with the blip being in such a frankly suspicious location combined with all the other circumstances... "...What have you done to Emiru, kidnapper?"

_"You catch on quick, girlie~ I'll make this short and sweet, then. Play my game and no one gets hurt. You tell anyone or get any help at all, then she's toast. That clear, robo-chick~?"_

The light faded from Ruru's eyes and the expressiveness left her face, leaving her all-business just as she had been at Criasu Corp. "...I will play your game, and ensure you receive appropriate punishment for your transgressions."

 _"That's what I like to hear~ First clue's waiting at the top of Nobinobi Tower. You've got twenty minutes to get there and find it. I'll be waiting~"_ And with that, the kidnapper hung up the phone.

Ruru's grip on the old brick tightened more and more until she crushed it to dust. A new emotion was welling up inside her heart, consuming all others that she had learned. Her body shook under the onslaught of a raging inferno bubbling up from the very depths of her being, something that caused her to clench her fists and grind her teeth, something that wanted to see the kidnapper's smug face just so she could leave it bruised and bloody. Something that would frighten her, if the very concept of fear hadn't fled in the face of this furious firestorm.

Ruru...was _angry_.


	2. Chase

_If I sprint, Nobinobi Tower is a seven-minute journey. I can shave sixteen seconds by cutting as many corners as possible._ Ruru's thoughts flew by at a mile a minute as she dressed herself and headed back downstairs again, nearly colliding with Kotori as she reached the bottom.

"Wh-whoa--! W-Watch it, Ru...ru? H-Hey, what's wrong, you look--"

"Nothing. I simply have to leave in a hurry and will likely not return for a while." Ruru laced up her sneakers with blinding speed, running calculations on the fly on how to minimize slipping without restricting motion, before standing back up. "I believe you say...' _ittekimasu_ '." With that, she practically kicked down the door and bolted, much to Kotori's confusion.

As Ruru ran, her mind was free to wander as her body followed her predetermined route. _The kidnapper is smart, using cell phones that aren't GPS-enabled. It prevents me from easily tracing the call. If I went to the location of the pendant, there's no guarantee it would lead me to Emiru...and doing so would risk her being hurt. I have no choice but to follow this kidnapper's sick schemes until I can...ah, of course! If they're sending me all over the city on a wild goose chase like this, I would be able to triangulate their position after a few calls._ Her lips curled up into a bitter grin. _...Soon, I will eliminate you, human who dared lay a hand on Emiru._

As expected, her fleet feet delivered her to Nobinobi Tower six minutes and forty-four seconds later with no wasted breath or motion. _The tower will take me approximately three minutes to climb, leaving me with ten minutes and sixteen seconds to search for the clue._ She ascended Nobinobi Tower at a pace that wouldn't alarm any passerby, constantly scanning about for a clue similar to the package she'd received. Ah, there, under a bench. Doing her best not to seem overly strange, Ruru feigned dropping something and knelt down to look under the bench. She received a couple weird looks, but nothing more. After a short scan, she found another old brick phone and scrap of paper taped to the underside of the bench's seat. She reached for it, grabbed it, and pulled it off, but as she was pulling back her eyes fell upon an old, tarnished 100-yen coin. After a moment's hesitation, she picked it up. _I could get Emiru some pudding after all this..._

After descending the tower and heading somewhere secluded, Ruru checked the scrap of paper and found that, in addition to the phone number, the back side bore the letter M. Curious, she checked the first scrap of paper and found that yes, it also bore a letter on the back...K. _Curious..._ Remembering the time limit, Ruru quickly dialed the phone number and put it to her ear, feeling her earlier rage starting to boil in her gut again.

The kidnapper picked up on the first ring. _"Well done, Ruru. Twelve minutes, twenty-nine seconds. Not bad at all~"_

"...Did you torture my name out of her? I sincerely hope for your sake that she's unharmed when I find you."

_"What remarkable restraint you're showing~ Usually my players are hurling insults and profanities by now~"_

"Insults and profanity are inefficient and thus unnecessary. Now tell me the next 'game'."

 _"So impatient~ She's not going anywhere all tied up to that chair~"_ Ruru's ears caught hints of Emiru's petrified breathing in the background. _"Since you're so speedy, let's see you find the next clue at L'Avenir Academy in less than twelve minutes and twenty-nine seconds~ You run late, I'm going to start scarring up her pretty face~"_

Once again, the burning tide of anger surged in Ruru's chest, rising up into her throat as she gripped the old brick phone so hard it began to crack bit by bit. "...As I said, I sincerely hope for your sake that she's unharmed when I find you." With that decisive statement, Ruru crushes the second phone just like the first and bolts towards L'Avenir.

 

*     *     *

 

Emiru's kidnapper chuckled dryly as the line went dead. "For as cool as she acts, this friend of yours is pretty angry, hm~?" She held up Emiru's pendant to inspect. "This is pretty good craftsmanship. Figures a little rich twerp like you would wear fancy accessories like this without a care. How much did this cost? 80, 90 thousand? Mm, nah, probably more like 150, looks custom-made~"

Emiru tried to swallow the baseball-sized lump in her throat, without success. "M-My friend made it, I assure you..."

The kidnapper cocked an eyebrow. "You're saying this jewelers-quality necklace is handmade? Quit lying, you little shit." The kidnapper put a foot on Emiru's chair and started rocking it, getting dangerously close to tipping it. "Tell me the truth, where'd this come from? How much was it?"

Emiru, to her credit, remained as calm as she could given the situation. "I-I am telling the truth, I say! My friend made it and gave it to me!"

The kidnapper snarled, her gleaming white fanged teeth glinting in the low light. "You're really pissing me off with this constant lying...that's what I hate about you rich people, never wanting to share. And your stupid little 'I say' verbal tic...you're driving me up a wall."

"I-It's not stupid, I--" Emiru's retort was interrupted by the kidnapper sitting up and backhand slapping her across the face so hard that it knocked her _and_ the chair she was tied to onto the floor. Emiru  _barely_ managed to avoid striking the concrete floor with the back of her head by tucking her chin to her chest just before impact. "Ah--! H-How dare you lay a hand on me, I ask?! My friend--" This time, Emiru was interrupted by her own scream of pain as the kidnapper stomped on her midsection.

"I am _so_ sick of hearing that! 'Oh, my friend made this for me', 'Oh, my friend will save me', 'Oh, my friend will make you pay'. I think you need some sense kicked into you, you little shit..."

The last thing Emiru saw before she could let out a protest or beg for her safety was the heavy sole of a black leather boot descending upon her face.

 

*     *     *

 

"Got it!" Ruru snatched the third clue down from its hiding place, wedged in the ceiling of the girl's locker room. After descending from the stepladder she'd..."procured" from a nearby custodial closet, Ruru checked the scrap for a letter...and there was one, the letter A...before hurrying to dial the number.

The kidnapper picked up on the fourth ring. _"Hmm, not bad. Eight minutes, two seconds. You must be a fast runner."_

"I simply take the most efficient route possible. I trust you've left her unharmed?"

_"Oh, little Emiru~? She's just taking a little time-out nap after getting too rowdy~"_

Seething, boiling _rage_ gripped Ruru tightly yet again, but she once again kept her voice calm. "...How many clues are left, kidnapper?" _I can triangulate her after just one more data point..._

_"Oh, just one more~ But I've got some special instructions for you after you--"_

"Idle chatter such as this is inefficient and thus unnecessary. Tell me where the final clue is."

_"Man, and I was having so much fun idly chattering~ Fine, girl, listen up. Eight minutes, two seconds. For every minute you run over, I'm gonna cut something off our pretty little girl here~ Your next clue is at...Hugman~"_

Ruru's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed very dangerously. "...Very well." Ruru tossed the phone away in disgust before taking a second to compose herself, then bolting out the door like a squirrel on a sugar high, coaxing every last ounce of speed she could get from her metal legs.

 

*     *     *

 

The kidnapper huffed a sigh and tossed the phone away before turning back to the heavily-breathing Emiru. "I'm surprised you can still breathe after that beating I gave you, kid~ Maybe you're more than just a rich little snob."

Emiru coughed, wincing at the pain lancing from her gut and side, before glaring at the kidnapper with her one eye that wasn't swollen shut. "Y-You're disgusting, inflicting abuse such as this on a child..." Despite how much she'd screamed from said abuse, Emiru's voice was still strong, if wavering due to the pain she was in. "I-I hope you get the punishment you're due, you human pond scum!"

"Ahhh, those are the insults I was wanting to hear~ Hah, but your hopes are in vain, girlie~" The kidnapper leaned into the light a bit, showcasing her angular face and sharp golden eyes. "I've been playing games like this since I was twelve, and not once in seven years have I been caught~ No one has ever won my game, not that I've let them." She grabbed Emiru's hair and yanked her head back. "Sit up straight, it's undignified to slouch~"

"A-Ah...I-I don't want to hear that from you, I say...unhand me, you jerk..."

"No can do, little girl~ Ah, look~" She showed the running stopwatch on her phone, which was currently at around eight minutes and forty seconds. "Your friend's running late, so that means...~" The kidnapper produced a switchblade from her sleeve, which caused Emiru to visibly tense up and curl her hands into fists."Don't be like that, girlie~ I'll have to take drastic measures...~" As the timer continued to run up from 8:52, the kidnapper grabbed Emiru's wrist and turned it over, lightly pressing the blade against the soft skin until blood welled up, causing all the color to drain from Emiru's face. "Hah, that's a good look for you, rich girl~ Now, why don't we--"

A sharp, annoying ringtone cut into the tension of the scene, causing the kidnapper's face to visibly twist in surprise. "Impossible...this fast?" She quickly checked the timer and growled at it. Nine minutes, one second. "For the love of..." As she scrambled to answer the phone, Emiru allowed herself a smug smile behind the kidnapper's back. She knew Ruru would do it...she just knew.

 

*     *     *

 

The kidnapper picked up on the sixth ring. _"How the hell did you...ah, forget it. So, you have all my clues...and all my letters, hm?"_

"Yes. M-A-S-K."

_"Good...this is getting pretty interesting. No one's gotten this far before...but now it's time for the final round."_

"And what might this final round be?"

_"Simple instructions, simple task. You have four and a half minutes to find me before I kill her."_

Every atom of Ruru's mechanical body burned with rage at that statement. "...You will regret having ever uttered those words." Ruru once again crushed the old brick phone to dust. "...I have you now." In a matter of seconds, her internal computer ran numerous calculations based on data gathered from each call, slowly narrowing down the search radius to one single, precise point: a small abandoned warehouse down by the docks. "...Three minutes." She kicked off the ground and shot forth like a bullet, darting in and out of crowds and jumping over any obstacle in her way. It wasn't just rage fueling her, but _love_ , for above all else in this world she loved Emiru and the memories they had made together, and nothing short of a nuclear apocalypse would stop her from getting to Emiru on time before this kidnapper...Mask, most likely, judging on the letters she'd given Ruru...snuffed Emiru out like a candle.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing...at...all.


	3. Piece of Junk

As soon as Ruru kicked down the door to the small warehouse and saw the light glint off a polished blade close to Emiru's throat, she froze stock-still in place. "...What is it now? You said the final test was to find you in four and a half minutes. It's been three minutes and thirty-seven seconds."

With the greater amount of light spilling into the room through the door Ruru had kicked down, the desperation on Mask's face was evident. "Shut up! One wrong move and I'll kill her!"

Emiru's eyes (well, the one not swollen shut) were understandably wide with fear and fixated on Ruru, obviously pleading for help or rescue.

Ruru's eyes scanned over Emiru, taking note of all her injuries. "...And why should I believe you, Mask? What motivation would you even have for kidnapping and killing a child?"

Mask's grip on the knife tightened, causing the blade to shift and nick Emiru's skin. "I said shut up! It's because of rich people like her that I've had to resort to this!"

"Illogical. Please explain yourself."

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you, robot _bitch_." Mask practically spat that last word. "You don't know what it's like to be a victim of the upper crust's capitalistic desires to monopolize everything they can get their hands on! People like me...people like my family...we were happy until our bakery was bought out and every last drop of our profits was funneled away into some company whose only interest was to suck us dry! I'm doing the world a favor by getting rid of all these rich brats...the next generation's not gonna have to worry about what I had to deal with!" Mask dug the knife into Emiru's neck more, eliciting a desperate little whimper from her as blood began to trickle down her neck and stain her blouse.

Ruru saw a light switch just to her right and flicked it on, casting more light on Mask and the situation before her. "...Young adult female...dark purple hair, gold eyes, angular features...approximately 170 centimeters tall and 47 kilos...dressed in stereotypical 'gothic' or 'punk' fashion..."

"...What are you blathering on about? You putting together something to tell the cops? Heh, they already know what I look like, they just can't catch me 'cause I'm too--"

"No, Mask."

"...What?" Something about Ruru's tone caused Mask's hand to start trembling, causing the knife to dig further into Emiru's neck and eliciting another pained whimper.

"Not for the police. It's for the paramedics...so they know what you used to look like before I exacted justice upon you."

Mask clenched her teeth, veins bulging on her neck and temple. "You cocky bitch...I guess you don't care about the girl after all, then!" Mask moved to slice Emiru's throat, and Emiru screamed...

And for a brief few seconds, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Thinking quickly, Ruru took the 100-yen coin out of her pocket and tossed it into the air in front of her before striking it with the back of her hand, sending it rocketing towards Mask like a bullet. She barely had time to react before the edge of the coin struck her in the right eye, burying itself in halfway. "G-GAH--!! Sonofabi--!" As soon as her knife was a mere couple centimeters from Emiru's throat, Ruru sprang into action.

She kicked off the concrete floor and launched herself at Mask, tackling her just as Mask brought her knife out to try and stab Ruru in self-defense. The tip hit Ruru's stomach and deflected off to the side, merely scratching her 'skin' and leaving a long slash in her shirt as she took Mask down to the ground, grabbing the kidnapper's wrist with such force that her arm snapped like a twig, causing her to scream out in pain. "For daring to lay a hand on Emiru...for even _thinking_ of taking her life...accept your punishment!"

Emiru watched in horror as Ruru began beating Mask violently. Emiru had never seen Ruru so angry before...and in fact, just a few days before Ruru had said that she had never experienced anger before. And yet here she was, raining hammer blows upon a defenseless Mask with an expression of pure incandescent _fury_. It scared Emiru, quite frankly. For several seconds her words caught in her throat, but finally she was able to force them out.

"Ruru! Ruru, stop! This isn't how a hero should act! Ruru! _RURU!_ " It was no use. No matter how Emiru screamed, Ruru's ears were deaf to her pleas. Thinking frantically, Emiru suddenly recalled the time that she, Hana, and Hugtan had gotten stuck in that pit.

_"Stop, I say! If we allow ourselves to get too flustered, it will only make Hugtan more restless!"_

_"Then what should we do...?"_

It was a long shot, but perhaps...Emiru took a deep breath to calm herself, tapped on her thigh like a metronome, and began to sing.

_"Let's go over that hill, blowing our whistles. There's a clear blue sky, over the meadows. Let's sing cheerfully, joining hands..."_

As soon as Emiru's singing reached her ears, cutting through the red fog of rage clouding her vision, Ruru froze, her anger melting away as the soothing notes embraced her heart, calming the raging storm within her and letting the gravity of her actions soak in. Had she gone any further, she would be no better than...

Mask stirred beneath her, coughing as blood leaked into her mouth from her broken nose and busted lip. "What are you doing, robo-bitch? Come on...didn't you say you'd make me pay? Huh? What happened to that? I tried to kill your little friend there! Come on, do it!!"

Ruru slowly lowered her fist and shook her head. "...No. Emiru is right...this isn't how a hero should act. Anger should not be fought with anger..." She glanced back at Emiru, who smiled and trailed off her song. "...Mask, or whatever your name is...you are not evil. You are a criminal, there is no doubt about that, and you deserve to be put on trial for your actions...but you are not evil. You are simply angry and lashing out in your rage. On a base level, your intentions are noble...you wish to rid the world of a certain injustice. But you are going about it in a very illogical and inefficient way."

"Wh-what the hell...are you talking about? A-Are you seriously...gonna preach at me after beating my shit in?"

"Correct, I am the last person who has a right to lecture you. However...let it be known that acting out in anger will only beget more anger. Likewise..." Ruru draws Mask up off the floor and into a hug. "...Acting in compassion and love will only beget more compassion and love."

Mask's uninjured eye widened as Ruru hugged her tight. "Wh-what...? Y-You..."

After a few moments, Ruru lowered Mask back to the floor gently and set the kidnapper's phone on her chest. "After we leave, call the police and turn yourself in. It's the right thing to do." She picked up Mask's switchblade and went over to Emiru, carefully cutting her free. "Can you stand, Emiru?"

"A-Ah...mm, e-everything hurts..." Emiru tried to stand, but due to being tied up for hours her legs gave out beneath her, leading to Ruru smoothly catching her. "Ah...th-thank you, I say. M-Mm, but..." She winced and touched her side with her uninjured hand. "...P-Please, let us hurry to the hospital. I believe my ribs are broken..."

Ruru smiled down at her. "Of course." However, just as she was about to start walking...

"Wait...you, robot..."

Ruru blinked and turned back to the still supine Mask. "...Yes?"

Mask coughed a couple more times before reaching into her pocket and pulling out Emiru's necklace. "...Here...take it. You...made this for the kid, right? It's only right you take it...back..."

After a moment of surprise, Ruru crouched down and took the necklace back from Mask. "...I see...thank you, Mask. You see? Compassion begets compassion in return." With one last smile down at the battered and bruised kidnapper, Ruru lightly jogged off in search of the nearest hospital.

Mask quietly watched them go before chuckling bitterly. "...Heh...stupid piece of junk robot...making me feel shit again. Love begets love, huh? What wires are crossed in your brain that you're preaching love to someone like me?" After a long moment of staring at the ceiling, Mask sighed and picked up her phone with her uninjured hand and dialed 1-1-0. "...Hello, operator? This is Murasaki Hisakawa..."


	4. Sweetheart

Thankfully, Emiru's ribs turned out to only be bruised and not broken, so after filling out a police report and answering a few questions Ruru and Emiru were allowed to go back home. Ruru held Emiru's uninjured hand in hers as they walked, fingers tightly interlaced as they strolled leisurely to accommodate for her bruised ribs. For a little while the two walked in sweet silence side by side. Eventually, though, Emiru was the one to break it.

"Um, Ruru, I--"

And of course, she was interrupted by Ruru's PreHeart chiming in her pocket. "...Ah, my apologies. I have to answer this." Ruru dug out the PreHeart and answered the call. "Hello, Ruru speaking."

_"Ruru, it's Hana! Are you okay?? Kotori said you dashed the heck out of here like the devil was chasing you a couple hours ago!!"_

"Ah, about that..." Ruru paused, glanced down at Emiru, and smiled. "...Yes, everything is fine. Emiru slipped and fell down a hill and I had to help her. She will be staying with us tonight...so please inform your mother for me."

_"Mechokku! Is she okay? I hope she's okay..."_

"Yes, she is perfectly well, just a little bruised and battered. I was able to get her to the hospital before anything too serious happened."

_"Huh, okay...well, as long as she's okay it's fine! I'll see you guys later, then!"_

"Ah, I should warn you in advance...Emiru has a black eye and the doctors bandaged it up, so she looks a little silly now."

"I-I do not, I say! Take that back this instant, Ruru Amour!"

 _"Oof, okay, gotcha! I'll get some ice for it! Bye-bee~!"_ With that, Hana hung up.

Ruru stowed the PreHeart and turned back to Emiru. "What were you saying, Emiru?"

"...N-Nothing, I say...don't worry about it. I'm just...happy you saved me.

 

*     *     *

 

Dinner was certainly lively, and a nice hot bath did a lot to relax Ruru and Emiru before they retired to Ruru's room for the night. As Ruru was drying Emiru's hair, however, she noticed that Emiru was looking rather lost in thought. "...Emiru, is something the matter? You've been rather quiet for a while..."

"H-huh? W-Well, I..." She fidgeted a little bit, clearly a bit reluctant to continue.

"It's just us, Emiru. You can tell me anything."

"I-I know, but..." The younger girl sighed in frustration. "...When you came to my rescue...and you attacked her..."

"Ah...yes, that was...unpleasant. Anger is a very...inefficient emotion. It is ugly and horrible...and I wish to never experience it again."

"...I understand, I say. But...Ruru...it's okay to feel ugly, horrible emotions sometimes. Sometimes they hurt other people...and that's bad. R-Really bad, I say! But...it's not bad to _feel_ , Ruru. So don't feel bad for feeling...okay?"

"...Look at you, cheering _me_ up after you were the one kidnapped today...but I suppose you're right." With Emiru's hair dried, Ruru picked up the brush and began to brush Emiru's hair. "There's no use dwelling on the past except to learn from it, after all."

"...I'm glad you understand, I say~" Emiru puffed her chest out proudly with a smug expression. "Really, aren't I just the best~?"

Ruru stopped brushing Emiru's hair, laying the brush down to drape her arms around Emiru's shoulders. "...Definitively, you are the 'best'."

Emiru blushed at Ruru's embrace. "R-Ruru...?"

"I would not go to such great lengths for you if I did not love you dearly...Emiru, my dearest little sweetheart~"

And now her face was practically on fire. "R-R-R-Ruru--! Wh-what is with this sudden affection, I ask?! I-I am not opposed, simply surprised!"

Ruru chuckled softly. "My apologies...but something inside me feels very warm tonight, and it makes me like this...~"

"W-Well, before you get too mushy..."

"Hm?"

"...C-Could you...put my necklace back on...?"

"...Ah! Of course, how could I have forgotten?" Ruru fetched the necklace from the pocket of her pajama robe, brushed Emiru's hair to the side, and carefully put it on for her.

Once again, as Ruru's fingers brushed her neck Emiru's heart started to pound again, and a blush crept into her cheeks as a little gasp escaped her lips. "H-Hah...R-Ruru, um...I have a weird question..."

Ruru draped her arms over Emiru's shoulders again. "Ask whatever you wish, Emiru."

Emiru paused for quite a while before asking. "...Wh-when I grow up...g-get into high school or whatever...c-could you see yourself...falling in love with me...?"

Ruru likewise paused for quite a while before answering, but when her answer came it was short and simple. "...Yes, Emiru. I could. I understand human culture places stigmas on love whenever it is deemed... _unsavory_ , shall we say...therefore, I would be willing to wait as long as I must to deepen the bonds of our love." Ruru lowered a hand down to twine her fingers with Emiru's. "...I am a machine, after all. I will not age."

"Ruru..." Emiru was kind of at a loss for words after that, so she simply smiled, brought their intertwined fingers to her lips, and softly kissed them. "...I feel the same way, Ruru."

Ruru closed her eyes and smiled into Emiru's neck, carefully laying down in bed alongside her and pulling the covers over them both. "...Good night, Emiru."

"...Good night, Ruru." Emiru closed her eyes as well, a soft smile still on her lips.

The necklace sent one last bit of data to Ruru's HUD before she shut herself down for the night.

_Proximity: 0.0 Meters._

 

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> Like what you see? Follow me on Twitter @hibikanas (https://twitter.com/hibikanas), support me on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/carywilson), and leave your comments and kudos below! Thank you for reading!


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